Blaine Allen Brown

I've installed several phone docks in my car. All of them were successful to varying degress; but in my tiny Neon the dock often crowds the cabin for either me or my passengers. This time I had the idea to mount a desk lamp arm to the floor using the seat bolts. I wanted to be able to bend the arm down between the passenger seat and the center console. I added the dock to the seat by bending a metal bracket and sliding it under the seat mount. The seat still secures tightly. Ultimately, the depth of the dock made it impossible to stow the arm away between the seat and the center console. However, since the dock can be moved to hover completely over the center console, it is never really in anyone's way. Unfortunately that means the dock is always visible. I'd like to pursue this idea again. Perhaps a slimmer dock could be created?

My headlights failed inspection because they were too oxidized and dim. They wanted to charge me $91 for it. Not a totally unfair price to pass inspection for a whole year; but of course, I didn't want to pay. Headlights Before and After Toothpaste Following the instructions in the video below, I made a drastic improvement in my headlights which allowed my car to pass inspection. My $700 car is still going strong after 6 years with minimal maintenance and always has functioning heat, AC, and stereo. Everything the body needs. Just like the guy in the video, I recommend toothpaste with crystals or granules or whatever you want to call them. The little extra abrasive seems to help. After I was done conditioning the headlights, I sprayed them with WD-40. I do not know if this does anything or why I did it.

I made a puppet.

Important Notes Whether you're planning a heist or a shopping trip, a clean surface to jot down your thoughts is always useful. White boards are perfect for temporary notes and large boards can be used to present to an audience. The problem is large white boards can be expensive, sometimes running up to $150. However, using hardware store paneling, it is possible to attach a good size white board to a wall for under $15. Paneling Section Acquire Materials Find the wood paneling section in your local hardware store and locate a nice flat whiteboard surface. The Lowes in my town stocks "Mark-R-Board" for just under $11. Mirror Holders or Mirror Clips Now ask a store employee to help you find "Mirror Holders" or "Mirror Clips". These will secure the white board to the wall. I found that four clips were enough for me, but depending on the size of the board you purchase, more may be needed. Measure, level, and attach the board to the wa...

While smartphones are becoming Swiss Army Knives of productivity, many of us still have separate devices for specific tasks. Usually these devices sit on our desks taking up space and collecting dust. With the help of a shadow box from your local crafts store you can display these devices in style, while keeping them within arms reach. Find the framing section of your local crafts store and look for a hinged shadow box. The hinge is important, since many display cases are closed with clips on the back like a picture frame. You will also need a piece of black foam to line the bottom of the case. Make sure it is big enough to cover the entire bottom. If your box came with a piece of paper inside, keep that to measure the size of the foam. Cut the foam to fit and place it inside. The box pictured is unfinished wood. I plan to paint it black on the next dry day. If you paint your box, remember to cover the glass with painters tape. However, you can avoid painting altogethe...

For a long time my 32" flatscreen sat upon an old dresser which barely had enough room for my components (Xbox 360, PS2, Wii, etc.). My computer, to which my TV connected via HDMI, sat on a folding TV Tray Table positioned next to the dresser. This setup lasted for years because I could never find an adequate entertainment center in stores. Retail entertainment centers were either too small, had too few compartments, or were way out of my price range. That's when I decided I needed to build my own. Requirements There's no point in building your own furniture unless you customize it precisely to your needs. Here are the requirements I had: Deep enough to contain a standard size PC Shelves should be at least DVD case height Enough room for all components Sturdy construction Easily accessible backside for routing wires. Planning I am not a master carpenter, so I came up with a plan to have my local hardware store do some of the work. At Lowes, you can get o...

Problem: I don't want to carry around keys! They either poke me if they're in my pocket or they jangle when clipped to my hip. This is my genius idea to get rid of them forever! Required materials: Prepaid cell phone with ability to assign specific ringtones to contacts. Motor to turn deadbolt Some wire Procedure: So the idea is, you'd set your personal cell phone number to a personalized ringtone that would be "vibrate," and be sure to set everyone else to "not vibrate." Disconnect the vibration motor and hook it to turn the deadbolt motor on. So when you called the "home number" from your phone, it would turn the deadbolt and let you in! If anyone else called it would not. Uses: You don't have to carry keys around anymore, you can just call to gain entrance. Need someone to watch your cat while you're on vacation? You don't need to give them the key, just give add them to the address book. If you want to leave ...